Menstrual Cramps in 14 Year Old.

When I was a teen, I had very heavy periods along with severe cramping, vomiting and fainting. So I would miss 2 or 3 days of school every month when I had my cycle, and I couldn't do anything but lay in bed. My doctor prescribed pain medicine but with the vomiting, it didn't help. My doctor asked my mother if we could try the pill, and she was skeptical at first. But she finally gave him the OK and I tell you that was the best thing EVEERRRR. I went from heavy bleeding for 5-7 days and severe cramping to light bleeding for 3-5 days and NO CRAMPS at all.

How about ibuprofen? I would start with that and like you mentioned, a heating pad. I have had cramps so bad I threw up, but I was not like that all day. She definitely needs to see the doctor.

My goodness.

She can take 800 mg (4) ibuprofen, it's the px strength.

She will not necessarily be forced to have a pelvic internal exam at the docs. Our doc put my non-sexually active daughter on BC pills at 15 due to terrible periods, she did not have an internal exam. It has really helped a lot, her periods are much more manageable.

I hope you'll take a different approach for this child who is "never sick or injured". If you yourself have been blessed with manageable periods, that's awesome, but please understand not every female is equally blessed.

:(

1. That is a really harsh and arbitrary rule. I would never do that to my child.
2. Have you given her any pain medicine? You didn't list it.
3. Why don't you call the doctor and ask this question, instead of asking a bunch of strangers. Express her (and your) concerns about what type of exam it would be. I would never allow my child to writhe in pain on the bathroom floor for seven hours in a puddle of her own vomit without calling the doctor.
SMDH

A pain THAT bad would have me taking her to a doctor right now.
Might be cramps but it might be appendicitis - which could be life threatening if it bursts.
For peace of mind - get her to a doctor and HOPE it's 'only' cramps!

Additional:
If she's got a twisted ovary - ovarian torsion - this is a medical emergency which needs surgery to correct.
It's not typical in a teen but it's not impossible either.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovarian_torsion

'She has her own access to medication' - what does that mean?
If she passes out and you need to talk to EMT's or the ER, how are you going to be able to tell them what she took?

1. The doctor can prescribe a hormonal birth control to help regulate her period and reduce her cramping. I wouldn't force her right at this moment, but I'd let her know that a simple prescription can make her life so much easier and encourage her to agree to see the doctor. A pelvic exam isn't the end of the world. My gyno is very kind and gentle.

2. If she doesn't agree this month, I would let her know that after her period is over you're making her an appointment. Do your research and ask around for a doc who is good with teens. She's making far too much of this, and you need to step up and be the parent. She's still 14. What's best for her is to see the doctor.

3. I don't agree with your rule. If she's vomiting and in pain, you don't send her to school. Even tomorrow. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty worthless at my desk when I'm vomiting and in pain.

ETA: If this is the first time she's ever been laying on the floor in pain and vomiting due to her cramps, then yes, she needs to get in right away.

There are just so many things this could be other than simply menstrual cramps. Many things feel just like them but way more intense and painful.

When I had my first kidney stone it felt just like cramps (in my back and later in the day around to my abs) at first. Throughout the day the pain intensified and the area that was hurting me grew.

You really have to take her to the doctor. This could be so many things.

Taking her to a GYN doesn't necessarily mean she'll need to have a vaginal exam. And the doctor and nurses really should know how to talk to her about things and help her be less afraid.

You have to take her to the doctor. She needs to be taken care of.

ETA - I'm so glad you decided to call the doctor, but I think it was a mistake for you to promise no internal exam. Hopefully that won't be an issue, but if a doctor truly believes it's in her best interest, what are you going to do? I think you want to help her understand that the doctor won't do that unless it's absolutely necessary.

Wow, I don't understand why it was even a debate about whether she should go to school or not. She was throwing up and laying on the floor. Do you or your husband go to work if you are like that? If she is still feeling that badly tomorrow, I would not make her go to school.

However, if she is having cramping that is not helped by ibuprofen, then probably time to call her doctor...

Doctor - because what if it's not "just cramps"?

My cramps were so bad at one time I couldn't concentrate and needed prescription medication.

I also had a drop in iron monthly that caused shakiness/dizziness.

Seriously, you need to re-asses the arbitrary rule. Just because your periods weren't that bad, doesn't mean your girls are having easy periods.

Wow, I used to have cramps so severe, that when I gave birth, I did not need pain meds. Yes really. I told the nurse,wow, I thought it was going to be way more painful. She said I assume you had severe cramping as a teen?

They were debilitating when I was a teen.

Not everyone is the same as you. Some girls have very severe cramping, it really does feel like the final moments while in labor! So imagine how bad your daughter must feel.

As patents we can come up with some pretty odd rules based on our own childhoods, but our children are not us. They may feel things differently from us, they may be more hardy or they may be more sensitive to pain.

Treat your daughter as an individual and step away from your preconceived ideas of what she should be able to endure pain wise.

Yes take her to a gynecologist and let them help her. It may be a low dosage of birth control, it may be that she has some fibroids, or appendicitis, but do not treat her as though she is you.

Right now she can drink chamomile hot tea. She will need a heating pad for her abdomen. Keep a record of her temperature. If she gets a high temp, she really needs to see her doctor or go to the er.

It is very possible she has endometrious (sp) my daughter started it at about that age. My daughter missed a lot of school because of cramping and heavy bleeding. This is an autoimmune disorder and needs to be taken care of as soon as possible. It can lead to infertility.

The best solution is pregnancy and breastfeeding because it stops the periods for a length of time. Of course I am NOT suggesting your daughter get pregnant.

The next best solution is to take the pill 3 months on 1 week off for a period and 3 months on again. I balked at the idea of the pill for my daughter at 14 too but it honestly is the best way to treat this.

She needs to see a doctor. Cramps that severe could mean something more in going on. She may be afraid of the exam, so it is your job to make sure she understands that there is nothing to fear, I mean after all in a couple of years she will be needing these exams yearly so she needs to get past her fears. For me, I went on BC pills at that age and that helped my cramps tremendously.

She needs to go in. They can examine her without doing an internal exam and pap smear. They can do an external ultrasound and a simple external exam on her abdomen by simple pushing on it.
I grew up with parents that had a rule like that. I hated them for it! I was not making up the misery I was in. I could not concentrate in class so I was learning nothing. I was spending time in the bathroom sick which was humiliating to me because all the kids in class saw me have to leave, often times without asking the teacher because the need to leave was that urgent, and I'd be a way from class for a while until I felt better enough to try to go back. I'd go to the nurse and be told to "suck it up". It wasn't until I got older that things got better. The birth control pill helped me for a while. My cousin had troubles with major cysts and other issues. She was on birth control pills from shortly after getting her periods.
You need to ask her what she is taking and check that she is not taking too many doses in a 24 hour time frame. Every 4 hours can easily be too many doses in a day of some things.
You need to have an open conversation about this. I am betting she doesn't want to talk to you about any of this because you've already made it a dictatorship topic. You've already taught her to "suck it up" and keep on. You need to apologize for your actions up to this point. Let her know you are taking her seriously and that you want to help her find relief from her pain and discomfort so she can go about her life in a happier way, instead of miserable and in pain.

Sometimes, rigid rules need to be broken. I would lighten up on that if I were you. I am not saying they stay home 1-2 days every month but there are times it is best if someone stays home... rule or no rule.

My almost 20yr old had horrendous cramping and was very sick about once every 6 months. Every other time was the normal, just bad cramping.

Of course, I allowed her to stay home during the bad times and I know a lot of moms who do the same. When they are in that much pain and sick on top of that, they should not be at school.

By age 16, our daughter's bad months were more frequently and she basically never stopped bleeding. She has a close relationship with her pedi who will see her until she is out of college. She went on a low dose hormone to regulate her cycle. It took about 3 rounds of meds to get the "right" fit and she has been on the hormone (bcp) ever since. She still occasionally gets bad cramping that will keep her in bed a day but nothing like the times before with throwing up, diarrhea. At least she is able to manage it now.

She did not have any invasive exam and her pedi did not recommend one at the time either. It is not conclusive that an internal exam will be done. They can use ultrasound and other measures at her age. She did have extensive blood work to rule out any issues and to check all of her levels. She continues to have routine blood work since being on the hormone as a proactive measure by her pedi.

I never would have considered making her go to school on those worst days. She is a good student (4.0) and hates to miss school and fights missing any school because makeup work is a lot harder than being in class. I would not put that undue pressure on my daughter.

I did allow her access to her medications but I also knew how much she was taking and made sure she was aware of dosage limits per each 24 hours. Be careful about not knowing how much she is taking so she does not accidently do any damage to herself with possible overdose.

Call the pedi and ask what you can do to help get relief for your daughter. She already feels pressure to go to school tomorrow no matter how she feels. That is not fair in my mind.. She is sick and she needs to be healthier to get back in school so her immune system can be stronger and hopefully not catch any other bugs going around at school. It is not always black and white with rules... sometimes we need so ease up on strict rules. It does not make you less of a parent, it makes you more of a caring concerned parent.

She may need a stronger pain relief med at times and that is ok. I know it is hard for her, and you. Hang in there and get some help from the pedi.

ETA: A doctor will do a pelvic if it is warranted at that age. If she has not been sexually active, there would probably be no exam. Of course you do not know that and she would probably only tell the doctor and not you at this time. So don't get upset with her if she is. You can't always promise things as sometimes they do get changed.
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I was that girl when it came to my periods.

Get her some relief and take her to the doctors. You are the parent and she needs help. She does not need to suffer this way monthly especially in this day and age. I spent more time at the nurse's station than I did in class. Get a handle on this as she will miss a lot of work and be fired if you don't.

If it means taking the pill for relief than do it. I did a lot of swimming in the summer to help stretch the abdominal muscles and it would help for a couple of months.

Good luck and keep us posted.

the other S.

that's the age that cramps started decimating me. i remember lying on the sidewalk at school writhing in agony, with everyone getting on the bus and staring at me. i thought i'd die of embarrassment, but i was completely flattened.
for me the answer was birth control pills.
what alarms me about this post is your failure to have your girls examined the way that pubescent girls need to be examined. why on earth would you promise her any such a ridiculous thing? you're all no-nonsense about their gynecological issues not getting in the way of real life, but you pander to hysterical phobias about a routine doctor visit?
????????
khairete
S.

OMG! I'm reading some of these answers. You are really doing your daughters a disservice by projecting your fears onto them. A pap smear is a simple medical test used to help doctors examine women. Why not treat it as NBD! It's not vaginal penetration, which sounds sexual to me. Besides there are non-invasive exams and "just looking and feeling", and ultra-sounds, etc. Why not get a nice female OBGYN and make it like any other doctor's visit. No one likes getting mammograms or dentists ….. but we go anyway. Why make it so scary?

I would take her to the doctor. I would also ask her what she is taking for pain, you had stated you were not sure.
Good luck to you

I had horrible cramps that involved not only throwing up but also the joy of fainting from the pain.

My mother would give me muscle relaxers (no idea where she go them) but they would knock me out for about 4 to 6 hours. Super hot baths alsoo helped a lot.

I always missed one to two days at the beginning of my period (luckily it was only about every six weeks). Looking back I wonder why my mother never took me to the doctor or OB/GYN.

Anyways yes get it checked out...I think everyone covered the other things it could be cysts, appendix, etc etc...

Let us know what the doctor says, a lot of us have daughters and will want to know!!

Good luck!!

Pain like that is not really normal. Could you ask your doctor if there is any kind of blood test for ovarian cysts/tumors. I think there is. Also ask for the ultrasound. I would also ask them to take a test of all her hormone levels. It may be a saliva test. Testosterone, estradiol...etc...

There is a natural herbal pain substance called cramp bark that can work wonders. (online). It is probably safer than the Tylenol or Advil. Tylenol affects the liver, and Advil affects the kidneys. In fact, both of these meds are a leading cause of damage to these organs. (do a search online) I would do my darndest to avoid any more than two Advil or Tylenol at a time, for gosh sakes never 4 like someone said.

Our naturopath gave my DD a bottle of Symplex. Well, she was in a LOT of pain and she took one and it helped a lot. It is suppose to normalize hormones and suppose to take it daily for several months..

Lastly, Pain can be reduced by avoiding inflammatory foods...milk, dairy, sugar, carbs and grains. There are herbal anti inflammatorys that you can try also. They are not as strong as Tylenol/Advil but they don't hurt the organs... Curcumin is one.... look online for more.

Let her know she doesn't need an internal exam right now. I'd have her been seen to rule out anything else. She should be willing to do a urinalysis (not during her period due to possible blood) and maybe have some gentle pressing on the abdomen.

I agree that kids need to go to school despite PMS. But lying on the floor, vomiting? Good heavens. My mother was pretty horrible about school and grades, and I resented her terribly. But even she let me stay home with horrible cramps and vomiting without one argument.

I disagree with the doctor that every girl needs an internal exam the moment she gets a period. What? You mean a speculum and vaginal penetration for 11 and 12 year old girls? Seems extreme. But a 14 year old should not so terrified of an exam so someone needs to explain this to her - what's involved and what isn't. Find a doctor who specializes in adolescents. Find a woman if you think that would be easier. Certainly that exam should not be during a period when she is miserable.

You need to be the parent here, but you also need to be the type she can come to. I'd think about revising those rules about school.

And I agree some low dose hormonal birth control might be what she needs but that's a discussion with the doctor. You have to choose between that and keeping her home. Choose your battles.

I've been having severe cramps and terrible periods since my son was born 6 months ago. One thing that has helped (so weird, I know) is a waist cincher. My two are like this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cupid-Women-s-Extra-Firm-Contro...

http://www.walmart.com/ip/FLEXEES-by-Maidenform-Women-s-L...

I got the idea after reading this blog post on epbot: http://www.epbot.com/2013/05/can-corset-cure-cramps.html

I just happened to have horrible cramps at the time she posted it and thought it couldn't hurt to try since I'd already had the waist cincher. I couldn't believe how much of a difference it made.

After she gets checked out to make sure it's not something besides just terrible cramps, that might be something to think about.

I just scanned the responses and didn't notice anyone mention endometriosis, if someone did, I will add to it.

I would definitely bring her in for an exam bc the sooner you know the better.

Look it up. I have had it all my life. I wasn't diagnosed until my early twenties and by then I needed surgery and was told I might not have kids. I have two beautiful children now and have been diligent about taking care of it all my life. No young girl wants to go for any sort of girly part exam, but it is crucial to find out what it is and take action in case it is something that can do damage to her body, way worse than a few minutes of awkward at the doctor.